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With the Public Service AI Framework launch earlier this year, New Zealand signalled a strong commitment to the responsible, transparent, and ethical use of artificial intelligence. The framework sets out guiding principles—such as inclusivity, safety, and accountability—that align with the values and expectations of New Zealanders.
This milestone marks a significant step forward for the public sector and sets a benchmark for how government agencies can deploy AI in a way that serves people first. It's not just about technology—it's about trust.
Why Sovereign AI Matters
As AI becomes more deeply embedded in government systems and services, the importance of sovereignty over our digital infrastructure is growing. Who builds the AI, where it runs, and how it’s governed all matter. Sovereign AI ensures that New Zealand retains control over critical systems, data, and decision-making processes, rather than relying solely on offshore providers.
Local partnerships are already bringing this vision to life. A great example is the rollout of SCOTi AI, a locally developed solution from smartR AI and Sovereign Systems. Initiatives like this show what’s possible when homegrown innovation meets a clear commitment to ethical AI and reinforces the idea that we don’t need to sacrifice values for progress.
Our Role in the Ecosystem
At TEAM Cloud, we’re proud to contribute to this movement by providing the infrastructure that supports sovereign AI efforts. By keeping data onshore and enabling organisations to scale securely within New Zealand, we help ensure that local innovation has a strong, reliable foundation.
We believe a trusted cloud is a vital piece of the puzzle. It’s not just about performance—it’s about who owns and governs the technology. Our mission is to make cloud infrastructure more transparent, accessible, and aligned with the unique needs of the New Zealand digital ecosystem.
And when it comes to AI, that mission becomes even more critical. Here’s how TEAM Cloud helps make sovereign AI a reality.
TEAM Cloud Facilitates Sovereign AI
A key enabler of sovereign AI is the ability to bring AI to the data, not the other way around. For many organisations, leveraging AI for chatbots, speech recognition, visual analysis, or document understanding often requires training a language model on large volumes of enterprise data. Traditionally, this has meant sending that data offshore for processing, introducing the risk of losing control over where it resides and how it’s used.
Once data is absorbed into an overseas training environment, it may be repurposed for other models or applications, often without the originating organisation’s visibility or consent.
TEAM Cloud offers a better way. We enable AI tools to run where your data already lives—onshore in New Zealand. By delivering compute and AI services locally, we help organisations retain jurisdictional control, maintain visibility, and protect the intellectual property within their data. This approach delivers the full benefits of AI, without the risks of offshore data transfer.
This is especially critical in sectors like government, healthcare, research, and finance, where data sensitivity and compliance requirements are high. Solutions like SCOTi AI show what’s possible when local innovation is supported by sovereign infrastructure. With TEAM Cloud behind them, projects like these can scale responsibly, proving that sovereignty and performance can go hand in hand.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
We believe AI should empower organisations without compromising sovereignty, security, or trust.
If you’re exploring how to harness AI while keeping your data local and protected, we’d love to talk.
Contact us to learn how TEAM Cloud can support your sovereign AI journey, or visit www.teamcloud.nz to explore our platform and services.